I Fancy you, Granger
by AG23746
Summary: She gave a last angry shriek before bolting towards the castle, causing Draco's smirk to instantly vanish when he caught sight of her tears. Belatedly realising that he may have gone too far this time, he tore off after her, frantically searching for her before he found her. He reacted instinctively, paling, genuine pangs of guilt plaguing his heart. "GRANGER, NO!" DMHG.
**Disclaimer: Harry Potter does not belong to me, no matter how much I wish it did.**

*.*.*.*.*

 **First year – The Potions classroom**

"Shh! Will you two shut it? She might hear you!"

Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle really had a herculean task trying to stifle the sniggers that were spewing from their mouths as Draco Malfoy brandished his wand and with a flourish, caused the long braid of the girl sitting in front of him to get tied to the handle of her cauldron. Unfortunately for her, Hermione Granger remained unaware of this and obliviously continued to scoop a little amount of her potion into a vial to give to Professor Snape.

Draco smirked gleefully and held a finger to his lips to indicate to Crabbe and Goyle to keep quiet, when he was sure that her braid was knotted tightly to her cauldron and that she had finished collecting her sample and would be going to Professor Snape's desk to hand it over immediately.

His lips twitching, he slowing began to back away from his desk and gestured for his two lackeys to do the same. It would be any second now.

"Five…Four…Three…Two…"

Hermione narrowed her eyes suspiciously at Draco's loud countdown, worried he might have done something to poor Neville's already-dreadful potion and, shooting him a glare, began walking towards Professor Snape's desk.

"…One."

 _THUD! SPLASH!_

She didn't go more than three steps before her braid, which was knotted to her cauldron, pulled her back painfully and with a screech, she knocked into her desk, causing her cauldron to topple over and her carefully brewed potion to spill uselessly to the floor. She landed on the floor in an undignified heap, covered in orange potion which began burning her skin, and, shrieking in pain, she dropped the vial she'd held tightly in her hand, shattering it.

As soon as Harry and Ron caught sight of her small frame on the cold dungeon floor, they, along with the rest of the Gryffindors rushed to her help, much to Draco's amusement.

"MALFOY! YOU EVIL GIT! HOW DARE YOU?!"

Draco smirked. He loved it when her chocolate-brown eyes would glare at him with fire burning in them, just as they were doing at that moment.

*.*.*.*.*

 **Second year – Hogwarts grounds**

Draco was taking a pleasant stroll around the Hogwarts' grounds. It was the first day of Christmas break and he was staying at Hogwarts, rather than going home. Contrary to popular belief, he was sure glad he didn't have to go home, what with his father going on and on about how muggleborns were filthy and no better than the scum on your shoes, and he didn't particularly fancy listening to all that, not that he would ever admit it, because if word got out that Draco didn't really agree with his father's beliefs, his father would surely have his head.

He continued walking, deep in thought, until he noticed Harry, Ron and Hermione huddled together a little farther away. He smiled slightly, thinking of all the things he could do to trouble the Golden Trio.

Hermione, he noticed, had tied her hair into two loose ponytails, each one a wild bush on either side of her face. Looking up, he noticed a few birds chirping on the bare tree under which they were sitting.

Grinning maliciously, he look out a sachet of owl treats and dropped them at the base of the tree, away from them. When he was sure the birds had taken an interest in the food, he began dropping them, forming a trail towards Hermione. Then, making sure he was a little away from her, managed to discretely drop some on her head, carefully, so she didn't notice them.

She didn't.

Soon, the birds had caught on and began attacking her head, in search of the treats. Shrieking wildly, Hermione's eyes grew wide as saucers at the attacking birds before narrowing into slits when she noticed his trembling form, bent double with blissful mirth at her misfortune.

"MALFOY, YOU PRAT! I KNOW YOU DID IT! AAH! HARRY, RON, SHOO THEM AWAY, SHOO THEM AWAY! I'M GONNA KILL YOU, MALFOY!"

Tears rolled down his cheek when Harry and Ron looked torn between helping Hermione and socking him into a bloody pulp.

*.*.*.*.*

 **Third year – The Great Hall**

It was the last day of the year and Draco was quietly munching on his breakfast of bacon and eggs, eyeing Hermione distastefully, who was seated at the Gryffindor table happily chatting with her two best friends. It looked to him as though she and Ron were trying to cheer Harry up, who was sitting glumly between them. He frowned darkly, when he saw her kiss Harry on his cheek and felt a stab of jealousy shoot deep in his heart. Apparently, he, himself, was worthy of a punch to the face from her whereas _Saint Potter_ deserved a kiss! He ground his teeth in immeasurable rage and something weird feeling. He didn't, obviously, know what it was, but he didn't like that feeling one bit, and since it was Granger causing him to feel it, she would pay.

 _Filthy Mudblood…I'll show you for being cosy with Potter!_

With a spiteful sneer adorning his pale face, he nudged Blaise Zabini, and indicated him to hand over his copy of _The Monster Book of Monsters,_ and lazily began levitating it close to the floor (so no one would notice it) and over to Hermione, carefully lowering it onto her bench.

Smirking, he shot a hex at the book to open it. As he had anticipated, the book snapped her long braid, the nearest object in its limited vision, and began to pull vehemently at her hair, causing her to yelp in pain as her head was pulled backwards.

He, and the rest of the Slytherins, sniggered wildly as the Gryffindors panicked over getting the bloody book to stop yanking on her hair.

"OW! HARRY, RON, GET IT OFF! UH! IT HURTS! MY HAIR!YOU WILL BE _SO_ DEAD WHEN I GET MY HANDS ON YOU, MALFOY! I KNOW ITS YOU! IT'S ALWAYS YOU! OWW!"

*.*.*.*.*

 **Fourth year – The Hogwarts Library**

Draco's chin was resting on the table top as he glared angrily at Hermione, who was seated on her own table, books spread all over it and poring over some book or the other. She seemed oblivious to or had chosen to completely ignore stupid Krum and his band of giggling fangirls. It was obvious to any dunderheaded idiot that Krum had come to fancy the bloody bookworm and would most likely ask her to be his date for the Yule Ball.

He watched in growing annoyance, his eyes narrowing even further, when Dumb Krum finally plucked up the courage to approach her. He let out a low growl when she gave him a light, tentative smile and fell into an easy conversation with him.

Blaise, who was sitting beside him, gave a low whistle. "Look, Drake, little Miss Know-it-all has finally managed to snag herself a _boyfriend._ Maybe, now she'll stop being such a goody-two-shoes." He cackled gleefully, before noticing Draco's expression, who looked like he'd bitten a very sour lemon. "What's your problem, anyway, mate? D'you fancy her or something?"

That did it.

Snarling, he waved his wand, transfiguring the various pins in her hair into cockroaches.

Her reaction was immediate. She began squirming when she realised that some _things_ were there in her hair and then hopping around when she managed to snag a cockroach crawling in her hair, squealing like a mouse being trodden upon. Krum, for his own part, was equally terrified of cockroaches as she was, and wouldn't go anywhere near her, finally bolting away back the way he'd come, his fangirls following him, screeching.

"EEK! C-COCKROACHES! GET THEM OFF ME, OFF! PLEASE, OFF! T-THEY'RE MOVING! BLOODY HELL!" Hermione wailed, bouncing up and down in an effort to get them away from her hair.

Draco and Blaise fell into rambunctious laughter, falling off their chairs in their hilarity. After the two Slytherins had reigned in their laughter enough to be able to stand up, Draco smirked smugly and walked over to the still-bouncing-and-shrieking Hermione, and whispered huskily into her ear.

"Hell, Granger, when I said that your hair could host insects in them, I was only joking, but you took me seriously. I didn't know you liked cockroaches enough to let them dwell in your hair. Although, why am I not surprised? You _were_ the one who started some outlandishly stupid campaign for house elf rights. Spew, was it?"

He waved his wand and the cockroaches Transfigured back into hair pins. It took Hermione a moment to catch on that the cockroaches were gone, but when she did, well…

"MALFOY! YOU FOUL, LOATHSOME, EVIL LITTLE… **COCKROACH!"**

Draco grinned contentedly. _Ahh. Much better._

*.*.*.*.*

 **Fifth year – Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom**

Draco glowered darkly, rolling his eyes, as Umbitch (as he'd taken to calling her behind her back and in his head) hem-hemmed her way through another good-for-nothing excuse of a class, and diverted his attention to more pressing matters. Like the girl sitting directly in front of him, doing her fair share of glowering at the stupid toad.

 _She ties her hair in a loose bun now._

He mused as he found himself eyeing the back of Hermione's head, his eyes glazing over as he marvelled at the delectable patch of pale skin at the nape of her neck. Leaning forward, he caught a whiff of her sweet smelling hair, and almost groaned out loud at how _homey_ it made him feel. It always smelled of cinnamon, oranges and chocolate and drove him up the wall. In a good way, of course.

He had a very strong urge to run his hands through her hair and before he could stop himself, he'd tugged gently at her bun, causing it to come loose entirely, and her brown, frizzy tresses to cascade down her back.

She whirled around and opened her mouth to berate him, no doubt, when she was interrupted by Umbridge's sickly sweet voice. "Ms. Granger, what part of my instructions to not talk at all, did you not understand? Ten points from Gryffindor for your impudence."

Gritting her teeth in sheer annoyance, she turned back around, wanting nothing more than to thrust the quill in her hand violently through both, his and Umbridge's skulls.

Choosing to take this once-in-a-blue-moon opportunity, Draco calmly ran his fingers through her soft locks, knowing he was irritating her beyond anything, and absolutely enjoying it. He smirked when, in her anger, she snapped her quill into two, but didn't turn back around to glare at him.

He wrapped few strands of her silky hair around his finger, and marvelled as they bounced back when he let go. He frowned slightly, when he got no reaction from her.

He continued toying with her hair until, finally, she swivelled around, her chocolate-brown eyes glaring ominously at him. He smirked back at her and raised a taunting eyebrow, waiting for her response. "Don't touch my hair again, Malfoy, or you'll live to regret it." She managed to threaten him, her teeth gritted tightly together.

Still smirking, he raised his arms in surrender, mocking her lightly, and went back to ogling her head when she turned her back to him and levelled her glare on Umbridge instead.

After class, he stayed back, pretending to be searching for something, until Hermione was the only other person inside the classroom, besides him, having told her two daft friends to go ahead without her. She'd not noticed his presence yet, and was tying her hair into a ponytail when he pulled the rubber band out of her grasp, startling her.

"What-" she started to say, but he placed a slender finger over her lips, effectively shushing her.

"Wear your hair down, Granger. Perhaps you'll look a little less than a beaver, that way."

He left, stuffing her rubber band into his pocket like some sort of souvenir of a task well done. Hermione stood still, her mouth gaping open at his back, trying to wrap her head around the fact that he'd just given her a compliment even though it was glazed with an insult.

*.*.*.*.*

 **Sixth year – Slughorn's Office (Slughorn's Christmas Party)**

 _Zabini was right! The Stupid bint really did accompany McLaggen to this God forsaken party._

Draco felt a stab of jealousy shoot through his body, as he watched McLaggen attempt to snog Hermione, and the little bubble of joy that burst in his heart when she managed to dodge the kiss, did little to dwindle his jealousy.

His eyes narrowing in growing contempt, he fought the urge to march over to them and _yank_ the sodding git away from his girl and pummel him into a bloody pulp and –

 _WHOA! What the hell? Since when did Granger become YOUR girl?_

Reeling from the shock of his thoughts, he didn't notice someone else's presence behind him until he'd grabbed hold of his collar and dragged him into the party. Before he knew it, Filch had told Slughorn and Snape about him lurking in the corridors and he'd had a nice (NOT) conversation with Snape, consisting of a lot of yelling and manhandling.

When it was all over, he again spied Cormac McLaggen with Hermione and his blood began to boil. Reflexively, his wand was in his hand and he'd shot a spell at Hermione, causing her hair to turn into every colour of the rainbow in order after every four seconds. A little put off by her changing hair colours, McLaggen made a mad dash for the door, anywhere away from her.

Slightly confused, but glad at her date's (cringes) sudden departure, Hermione made to go back to her common room, when she noticed her reflection in a mirror, and Draco standing right behind her.

Her eyes instantly locked onto his, both searching for something in the others' eyes, before Draco muttered the counter curse and Hermione's hair went back to normal. Turning on his heel, he had every intention to go back to his dormitory and spend the rest of the night making up all kinds of scenarios including the bushy-haired lass standing a few feet away from him.

"Malfoy." Her tentative voice stopped him in his tracks and he half-turned so he could see her out of the corner of his eyes. "Why?"

"He is a fool, Granger. Doesn't understand you and never will. Same goes for Weaselbee. Sometimes you have to forget what you want to get what you deserve." His voice was so soft, with no trace of malice in it, that she was almost sure she'd imagined it, as his retreating footsteps faded away.

*.*.*.*.*

 **Seventh year (technically, eighth year as they're redoing the seventh year that they missed due to the war and all.) – Charms corridor**

Draco was leaning against the wall, staring into space, while Blaise, Pansy and Theo stood around him, paid them no attention as his mind began conjuring up fantasies of Granger and her wild mane of bushy hair taking lead roles in some of the movies he'd been fortunate enough to see in his brief stint in the muggle world during the previous summer as penalty for his reluctant spell as a Death Eater.

Grinning goofily at how warm it made him feel inside, you know, thinking about her, that he failed to notice his friends' incredulous looks, having never seen him grin the way he was doing.

"Drake, mate, what's gotten into you? You're grinning like the cat that's got the cream. Are you ill? Should we go to Madam Pomfrey?" Blaise chose to voice out everyone's thoughts.

Coming back to the real world with a jolt, Draco realised his folly and quickly amended his facial features to look indifferent. "Did I miss the part where you became my mother, Zabini?" he spat, slightly embarrassed at being caught grinning like a lovesick fool, although he would never admit it.

Hermione's sudden arrival in front of the charms classroom with Ginny Weasley in tow, managed to elevate and dampen his spirits at the same time. Her hair was now tied in a loose half-up-half-down getup and silky strands of her hair had managed to escape her up do and were framing her pretty little face. This elevated his spirits. What dampened them was the fact that their seating arrangements were on the extreme opposite ends of the classroom and he had no way to run his hand through the said strands of hair.

The very thought was enough to completely deflate his heart which had swelled with hope that he may have an opportunity to play with those enticing curls.

"Come in. Come in." Professor Flitwick's squeaky voice greeted them as they entered his classroom. "Headmistress McGonagall thinks, as do I, that, after the events of last year, inter-house unity is our first priority and so, I have assigned new partners for each student. You shall be working alongside someone from the other House and you will be partners for the whole of this term. I hope you will create goodwill among one another and not resort to petty fights. As I call out your names, please be seated along with your partner."

When Professor Flitwick called his name and he learnt that he was to be partnering Hermione, his deflated heart soared with joy again. Managing to suppress the grin that threatened to do away with his ears to grow wider, he quickly at down at his desk and watched with hidden amusement, which bordered on morbidity (as he recalled Hermione's torture in his ancestral home at the hands of his own aunt), when Hermione hesitantly approached him, probably expecting him to scream bloody murder at having to be her partner for a whole term.

"Granger." He said, not quite looking at her. "You can sit down, you know. I don't bite."

"Malfoy." She replied, nodding to him once, sitting down hastily, taking all her materials out of her bag and arranging them neatly across the table. "Look, Malfoy, I know we've had our differences and such, but could we leave them in the past where they belong?" She stopped talking but ploughed on again when she saw him lower his head in some kind of nod. "We're stuck together for the whole of this term, and I vote we make the best of it. What do you say? Want to start it over?"

"Well, since this is how it's going to be, for all its worth, Granger, I truly am sorry for calling you all those filthy names and would take it all back in an instant, if I could. I am not, however, sorry for trying to get you riled up, because the entertainment you provide is just too good to pass up." His trademark smirk made its appearance again on his pointed face. "Truce, then?" He held his hand out for her to shake and when she did, he smiled crookedly at her. "Now, since we're acquaintances, I must be completely honest with you and say that your hair is atrocious. So, if I do happen to do something to your hair in the unforeseeable future, kindly excuse me, as I'd be acting on instinct to protect myself from that bird's nest you call hair."

Hermione chose to dignify that response with a deathly glare and a rather hard punch to his shoulder, before proceeding to completely ignore the twitchy ferret.

Following that little exchange, both worked diligently on the task that Professor Flitwick had assigned them, and didn't talk much.

After class ended, Hermione bade him a quick farewell and made her way over to Ginny, who was chatting animatedly with her partner, Blaise Zabini, and from the looks of it, they'd been lucky to strike a new friendship too.

"Uh, 'Mione, you do know you're not five any more, don't you?" Ginny asked her by way of greeting.

Looking puzzled, Hermione nodded. "Of course, Gin. Why would you ask that?"

Ginny shrugged, transfigured her quill into a hand mirror and handed it to Hermione. She hid her grin at the horrified expression Hermione's face donned on seeing her reflection. "Nothing. Just, you've tied your pigtails a little too high, and if I didn't know any better, I'd say you've regressed in age and turned five."

"DRACO MALFOY! WHAT IS YOUR PROBLEM? I HATE YOU!" Hermione shrieked and only received a deep chuckle and a quiet 'I love you, too, Granger' as a reply from the twitchy ferret.

*.*.*.*.*

 **Seventh year – the Great Hall**

Taking a large gulp of butterbeer spiked with firewhiskey, Draco raked his eyes over all the heads of the student body, looking for one in particular. Their Graduation ceremony had been finished with in the morning and the Graduation Ball had commenced almost three quarters of an hour ago, and there was still no sign of her.

Spending a whole term as partners not only for Charms, but also Potions, Transfiguration and Ancient Runes had improved their enemy relationship, albeit not as well as the teachers had hoped. Still, it was an improvement since, now, they could stay in a room for more than ten seconds without insults, taunts, hexes and jinxes started flying. And nobody can say that the large number of duties they'd had to perform together, on account of both being Heads, had not helped in the least.

 _Where has she gone off to? And she yells at me for tardiness! Salazar, I hope she hasn't done something as stupid as drown in the Black lake, but what with her Gryffindor foolishness, I wouldn't put it past her._

Sighing, he raked his hand through his tousled hair, strands of it falling over his eyes.

Hermione had commented that he looked like a greased toad when he slicked his hair back. Of course, she'd been partly joking then, but he'd taken her seriously, and had stopped doing it altogether. He wouldn't admit it to her, but this new rugged look his tousled hair provided to his features, made him look even better than he had before.

Someone tapped his shoulder gently and he turned around to see which unfortunate idiot had decided to disturb him so he could hex the person into next year and promptly felt his jaw hit the floor.

 _Great Snakes!_

She wore a knee-length deep purple dress which hugged her upper body and flowed freely from her waist. The intricate lace covering the bodice turned her into a feminine illusionist and the delicate ribbon draped around her waist accentuated her small hips. A cluster of diamonds adorning the ribbon was attached to her side, gathering part of her skirt together and sparkling merrily when the light from the candles floating overhead caught them.

 _Granger._

"Malfoy, you might want to close your mouth, lest nargles should decide to make your mouth their abode." She smirked, though her smug expression was negated by the pretty blush glowing on her cheeks.

Draco hastily picked his lower jaw from the floor and clamped his mouth shut for a second before smirking. "Goodness, Granger, but you do clean up nicely."

"Malfoy, are you insinuating that I look unkempt otherwise?" She asked, punching his shoulder lightly and glaring at him but the 'Hell hath No Fury…' look she was going for was miserably ruined by the smile that played across her lips. "You don't look bad yourself, I must admit."

 _God, her hair! Her hair looks even silkier than it normally does. How she managed to completely tame her unruly hair is beyond me. But I think I preferred it when it was bushy._

Shaking his head at the direction his thoughts had taken, he held his hand out for her to grasp. "Would you care to accompany your handsome Head Boy for a dance, Head Girl?"

Laughing at his antics, she immediately grasped his hand and he set about twirling and swaying her to the music, gracefully leading the other couples who were getting impatient to get on the dance floor already.

After two solid hours of dancing with just anyone who happened to ask for a dance, not succeeding in politely trying to decline, Hermione quietly escaped outside, making her way around the Hogwarts grounds. Having nothing better to do, and wanting to get away from the stifling atmosphere in the Great Hall himself, Draco followed her, and quickly got in to step with her. If she had any objections, she didn't voice them.

"Granger, why did you do this to your hair?" Draco asked, playing with her hair. "I think it looks more atrocious now than it looks when it is in its normal state."

Without waiting for a reply, he waved his wand and her brown tresses escaped her delicate up do and tumbled down her slender back. He smirked arrogantly at her. "Ah. That's more like it."

"Malfoy!" She gasped, clutching a mass of her hair. "What is your problem? I've spent hours trying to get it right and the Ball isn't even over yet. And I thought we were getting along just fine! Clearly, I was wrong. You hate me and you hate my hair!"

She sent a scathing glare his way, clenching her hands into fists and visibly shaking with anger. She gave one last angry shriek before spinning around and bolting towards the castle, causing Draco's smirk to instantly vanish when he caught sight of the tears pooling in her eyes.

 _Bloody hell!_

Belatedly realising that he may have gone too far this time, he tore off after her, frantically looking into empty classrooms before he finally managed to find her in Moaning Myrtle's lavatory. Genuine pangs of guilt were plaguing his heart and they threatened to break his heart into millions of pieces when he noticed her standing in front of the mirror, scissors in hand and poised to cut off half the length of the brown locks. He reacted instinctively, paling and snatching the pair of scissors from her hand, banishing them before she could say or do anything.

"Granger, NO!"

Hermione jumped at the sound of his voice, not having heard him come into the lavatory, and whirled around to lock her gaze on his panicked quicksilver eyes. Her surprised expression quickly turned into a dark scowl as she shoved him away from herself. " _Get away,_ Malfoy! I don't want you here. Haven't you made my life the deepest darkest pit of hell already? What more is there for you to do? I'm doing what you've always wanted me to do – chopping my hair right off! Will that be enough for you to LEAVE ME ALONE, or is there something else I should do?"

"Granger, I… Look, Granger, I said DON'T, didn't I, or have you lost your sense of hearing? Don't cut your hair, alright? _Please._ " He murmured softly but his voice echoed around the lavatory again and again, like it was taunting them both. "I don't hate you or your hair. In fact, I really like it."

Bewilderment completely overrode her anger, and Hermione found herself inclining her head in his direction curiously. "What's that supposed to mean? I don't understand. Wh-what..?"

He cut her off with an amused smile dancing across his lips, shaking his head, as he hesitantly brought his hand to her face to cup her cheek tenderly. When she didn't immediately recoil in disgust, he rested his palm more firmly.

"I thought it was obvious, Granger. If I had hair like that-" He playfully tugged at a stray curl. "- I wouldn't give it away for all the wealth in the world. I think it does you justice. Long, wild and nothing short of beautiful… just the way I like it. Haven't you realised it yet?" His question caused her to glare at him in annoyed exasperation but he didn't stop talking. Personally, though, he sure was glad looks couldn't kill, or he would definitely be six feet under. "And people call you the Brightest Witch of our Age. Hasn't anyone told you that boys pull the ponytails of the girls they like?"

"What are you trying to pull, Malfoy? Is this some kind of trick and are your slimy Slytherin friends going to jump out from behind a wall and go 'April Fool, Mudblood' , or something?"

Eyes sparkling in amusement, Draco let out a genuine laugh and tugged on her arm to pull her closer. "You still don't get it, do you? I'm going to have to spell it out for you, aren't I? I met you, you met me. I bullied you, you punched me. I pulled on your ponytails, you yelled at me. We grew up, and I saw you for the first time. I fell in love." He paused to let his sentence sink in. "Need I clarify it further for you, Granger?"

"If… if what you're saying is true, Malfoy, then you have a very strange way of showing your affections." Hermione stammered.

"Love has no particular language, Granger." He paused for a moment, then carried on. "I fancy you, _Hermione,_ more than I have the courage to admit. Have, since, probably third year when you punched me. I can't be too sure, though, it's all a blur."

"Why didn't you say so before, Malfoy?" Hermione asked, looking deep into his eyes.

"Well, I thought you'd have figured it out by now. Besides, I was afraid you'd sock me and land me permanently in St. Mungo's. Still am." He admitted sheepishly but then thought – _what the ruddy hell. I may as well just do it_.

Taking a deep breath, he threw caution to the wind, and gently claimed her lips, moving his own tenderly against hers. His heart soared when she mirrored his actions, albeit with some trepidation.

"Be my girlfriend." Although he didn't phrase it as a question, she knew he was asking – no, pleading – her to agree to his request.

Moving away from him, she smiled shyly. "Of course." His response to her agreement was to brighten up like a sulky child taken to a candy shop and told to buy anything and in any quantity he so wished.

His smirk came back with a vengeance. "Just promise me you'll leave your hair alone. I adore it too much to let you chop it off, even though it looks like you stuck your finger in that muggle plug socket thingy with the button on."

She actually growled at his words. "DRACO MALFOY!"

*.*.*.*.*

 **Three years later – The Great Hall**

"May I have this dance, M' Lady?" He asked, holding his hand out for her to take, and offering her a gracious bow.

"Oh, but of course, kind sir. How can I refuse?"

Grasping his hand, she allowed him to lead her to the middle of the Great Hall for their first dance as a wedded couple. Falling into rhythm easily, they twirled and swayed in time with the music, smiling goofily at each other, both wondering just what they'd done to be blessed enough to have found one another.

"You look exquisite, Hermione." He said. "And that wild mane of yours just takes the cherry on the cake."

"You don't look bad, yourself, Draco." Hermione smiled. "Although, I think your looks will not protect your sorry arse from Ginny's wrath. You may be in danger of being murdered in your bed tonight. Ginny was incensed when I told her I didn't want her to do anything to my hair, you know, try to tame it, and just tie it in a chignon or something. Her anger soon directed towards you when I told her you'd prefer it this way. Even Harry may not be able to rein her in this time, and he's her fiancée."

Draco chuckled. "I don't think the Maid of Honour would kill the bride's husband, do you? May be I can convince Blaise to keep her occupied with dancing. He is my Best Man and could keep dancing with her throughout the ceremony. If that doesn't work, I'm positive my formidable wife would be sorely tempted to help her husband out here. "

Hermione rolled her eyes at him but grinned, nonetheless. She caught her ex-Headmistress' eye and smiled. "Minerva would be ecstatic that her plan for inter-house unity worked wonders. What with all the inter-house relationships - Ron and Pansy, Blaise and Luna, Neville and Hannah and you and me. And she did allow us to host our wedding reception here, at Hogwarts."

Draco nuzzled her nose with his, not caring if anyone thought he was going soft (HE WASN'T!). "I fancy you, Hermione Malfoy."

"I fancy you, too, Draco." Hermione grinned, but it quickly turned into a scowl at his next words.

"Please promise me your hair won't try to strangle or choke me to death in the middle of the night, love."

"Draco Malfoy! I swear to Merlin I will…!"

And there we go again…

 **THE END.**

 ** _Does Draco seem overly out of character? Would his obsession with Hermione's hair ever fade? What are your thoughts on him?_**

 **A special thanks to everyone who stuck with these two till the very end. Hope you enjoyed it and let me know your thoughts on this little fic.**

Please review.. they keep me on my toes!

 **Mischief Managed,**

 **QuillDragon23746.**


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